8.30.2011

This is too funny. D said, with a little hesitation, that I'm up to Part 10 of VACA 2011. Like that is a bad thing. Does he not notice that Part 10 was day two of our VACA? I still have the rest of day two and day three. And, if he had truly been paying attention, he would know that it is all in chronological order! So. Dear. Bear with me through the rest of VACA 2011!! Off to the rest of day two.

I forgot to mention on the last post, that we lunched at Bud & Alley's on the beach. It was soooo good! Those crab cakes. Just when I thought they couldn't come close to the ones we had at the Red Bar, they did.

This was our view from the upstairs dining area where we enjoyed lunch.

8.26.2011

After eating that fantastic dinner at the Red Bar, we went back to Seaside for the evening. There was a movie in the park which we were going to watch. We picked our place in the park and I walked around a bit to take some pictures.

This is such an interesting building. I have always liked the doors. And the burnt orange color wall color is so eye catching.

8.24.2011

After getting acquainted with our new surroundings we headed to Seaside. And we mosied around.

I always love the line of Airstream vendor trailers. #1 I have a huge love for food from a trailer. My reasoning: if you have something really good and you feel you have to take it to the streets, it has to be awesome. #2 I have often played with the idea of my own rolling food trailer...home-made burritos. Right down to home-made refried beans and hand rolled tortillas. But. I digress.

8.23.2011

The Library. Or common area. It had a couple of old rattan chairs with funky zebra covers. There was a wall of glass cabinets holding the book collection and CD's. I found out later that the extra toilet paper was in the cabinets below...sorta self serve. A really nice old piano was against one wall with some sort of homage to elephants on top of it. A sign on the piano read: Don't play the piano before 9AM or after 9PM. I think it disturbs the elephants.

Here is an overall view of that room with the cabinets of books, the chess table and the rattan chairs. Note the floor...the painted green was the flavor of the day. The stairway led downstairs to the dining room.

8.22.2011

Up in the library was a little nook. Complete with two rattan chairs dressed in zebra print and polka dots. The arms were painted forest green. They were beside a window facing the North. I enjoyed those chairs a couple of times.

"A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval."
¸.•*´¨`♥ Mark Twain

8.21.2011

We stayed at the Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse in Grayton Beach. I really don't know where to begin with this place. Retro without trying. We described it as Florida Kitschy. The Urban Dictionary defines kitschy as so tacky or lame that it has a certain ironic appeal. That really sums it up. D said that a younger him would have turned around and walked out. The new more enlightened him just enjoyed it for what it was.

I said it was like a cross between staying at my Aunt Effie's and Grandma's house. I think the Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse was channeling my Aunt Effie. She was a trend setter.

It was not about pampering. None of that nonsense. That where the similarities to my Grandma came in. She was old school German. No pampering there either. And definitely no nonsense. (But she had a warm and loving heart.)

I'm not even sure if it was about clean. It was what it was. And they served a good breakfast. Don't be misled by "Coffee" in their name. This was not a coffee house coffee...more like a truck stop coffee. But, I don't judge. It was coffee.

As soon as we got in I started to take pictures of our room.

There was a matching one on the other side of the bed. (Do you see that bedspread? circa 1950.)

8.20.2011

We took a little vacation before D has to go back to school. This is his week between classes, so we went to Grayton Beach. I'm going to post the pictures that I took...as I took them. So it will be planned randomness. A photo journal of our vacation in a timeline. Exciting!

Grayton Beach is, in the scheme of things, relatively close to us. Perfect. Not a long drive. And beautiful. Also close to Seaside. It all works in our favor.

First stop was en route to our lodgings. It was a little area by the road with a beautiful view of an inlet. We had always wanted to stop. This time we did.